Mars: An Elseworlds Story :Revised:
by Sibaas
Summary: On That Night, instead of staying put, little Bruce Wayne runs. That simple decision lands him on Mars, to be taken and used as an experiment with others. Everything must burn. Everyone will die. Is it wrong to long for more? Eventual J'onn/Bruce:
1. Enter: Malefic!

Title: Mars: An Elseworlds Story (Revised)

Summary: Mars will burn, that is what the visions tell Malefic. Bruce Wayne, One of Earth will bring destruction and death to all. It is a comforting thought to him, but not to Bruce, who swears to be more. How can he though, when his soul has been damned ever since That Night?

Disclaimer: Do I really need to even say it? Fine. I am not nearly awesome enough to own Batman or any other DC characters.

Author Notes: So yeah. I was reading over my old Elseworlds series and my mind kept asking so many questions, pointing out so many plot holes that in order to shut it up (and lower some of my embarrassment at having such a story on the web where everyone could see it) I decided to rewrite it. Completely. Not a slight rewrite, no, a complete overhaul. As in, discard everything you've read up until this point. Cool for new readers, right?

()

For as long as Malefic could remember, he has hated his own kin. All of them, from the moment he was born and felt silence in his mind and saw the disgust in their eyes – he **hated **the Martian race. Always looking down on him as if they were so much better – so what if they couldn't get their disgusting slimy little thoughts inside his mind?

Why ever would he want them to? But then word had gotten out and he'd been taken. Taken and held captive, often restrained to a metal slab in a large room with several other children, most of them alien. In the beginning he'd been the same, sobbing and begging to be set free but as the sols passed it became numbingly clear that no one would be rescuing him or anyone else. Ever.

Instead they were treated like lab rats, divided into groups based on what glowing drugs were being forced into them. Malefic's group, their drug glowed purple and burned through their veins when injected. Some sols he would shake so bad, colors and sounds screaming in his senses as the visions, sick and twisted, would rip through his mind. Images and the smell of burnt flesh – fire, everything on Malecandra was burning to ashes, buildings tumbling down and bodies piled high in the streets – and the **screams**...

The first time he saw it, he'd been unable to speak for two whole sols, horrified into silence. What was it that he'd seen? Hallucinations or visions? If those were images of what was to come then that meant his planet didn't have a future. They were all dead. _DeaddeadeadeadeadeadeadeadDy ingInTheStreetsFireSoHighItB urnsOhH'ronmeerItBurns_-

They gave him a few sols break from experiments, and during the time away from his slab he managed to make a sort of friend in his group. A young girl with wings, from Thanagar. He was just starting to care for the girl when the next dose ended up killing her. The agonized screams and tearful begging haunted Malefic's mind for a long time after that. In the end, as dark hatred boiled deep in his gut, the young Martian decided he's **glad **that his people, this rotten planet didn't have a future.

_Let it all **BURN**._

()

"What do you see in Malacandra's future?"

It _was_ visions, it turned out, that Malefic and everyone else in his group was seeing. Visions of worlds so far away, in the midst of a war that was steadily moving closer. So much destruction and bloodshed- senseless killing and the experiments were the keys to making it stop. Part of a prophesy, something they'd discovered in the far depths of Malacandra. Something that should have remained hidden! It would lead to death – had already unleashed a virus upon the surface that was slowly spreading, killing...

It was out, killing others –had to make it stop – but how? They took the unwanted, damaged children and did **that **to them! Malefic hated the visions, hated knowing what was going on – what would **happen** **to them, who would die**– but luckily it was only while the drug was in his veins.

The moment it left his system, the visions would stop and he'd be left in the silence of his own mind again. Of course, the images were forever burned into his memory but at least it didn't hurt so much, like he was burning alive each time. It seemed either the dose worked without any side effects or it didn't and slowly killed the body from the inside. As the body-counts of the children rose, so did his disdain for his people.

So when he was tied down again to his slab and forced another injection, as his body and those around him began to write in agony ... As that **vile **woman asked what he saw in the future- the future of a planet with people who'd stood there and **laughed while Iazik started to suffocate **(_LookAtItsFaceHowItChangesCol ors_) -

"DEATH!" Malefic choked out, enjoying the flinches as he added, "FIRE! Everything BURNS."

_Every last one of Them should die._

()

Test-subjects were often limited to one glowing drug at a time, so as to keep side effects (that most common being death) to a minimum. Malefic didn't understand anything about the other colors but he _knew _purple. Even if each time the drug was injected it burned and threatened to turn him mad, he at least knew what to expect after a year of the same treatment. But then they tried to introduce him to something else.

The second Malefic saw the syringe he screamed and began to thrash about violently in his restraints, wild images wracking his mind of what it would do. Didn't know what it was called or where it came from, only that it glowed with black energy and whispered things to him. Horrible things, and Purple seemed to be screeching loudly inside his head, _NononononoNotHimNotYouNotYou HeWillDestroyYou-_

In desperation he shouted, "IT CANNOT BE GIVEN TO ME! IT CANNOT BE GIVEN TO ANYONE HERE! ALL WILL DIE! ALL WILL DIE!"

Given his history of almost always being right, the syringe was put away and not brought out again for a long time.

()

Visions of death were nice but one day it dawned on Malefic that perhaps he needed to help things along. So during the next 'session', in the midst of screaming profanities and writhing in pain, he managed to focus on a question. Just one.

_How do I help?_

A young boy appeared in answer and he was an odd one. Dark, tainted yet not. From the far tomorrows of the future, a planet that **had **one. Earth, their neighbor, a place with so many different types of land – and weather! And the most beautiful blue sky he's ever seen before. Malefic tried to hide him but others in his group saw the Boy as well and told. Brats – how could they **tell**?!

Soon the Boy would be in Their hands and as visions showed him what was to come, showing what his people, the Noble Race of Malacandra **did** – **would do** –

"Death," he whispered to himself in a form of reassurance. "They will all burn one day."

It was something to look forward to.

()

/Author Note/

For those who are confused and/or don't know who Malefic is, its a prettier spelling of Ma'alefa'ak, who is J'onn's twin brother. He's legit, from the comics. The only Martian to not have telepathy or the fear of fire.


	2. Bruce Wayne of Earth

Title: Mars: An Elseworld's Story (Revised)

Chapter One: Enter Bruce Wayne, of Earth

/Earth/

The tale is a familiar one, well memorized by many throughout the ages. Of a dark, cold night in a damned city called Gotham. Little details change but the end result is the same. Two gun shots, flying pearls and screams that play out in a horrifying melody that ends with little Bruce Wayne kneeling next to the rapidly cooling bodies of his parents.

A child's innocence lost. No hero to save the day, to take back what was stolen. A promise made, born in the darkest hour of a shattered world.

Only, in a different universe, Bruce didn't stay at the scene, didn't wait for the cops to arrive. It was too hard to breathe, standing over their bodies when every second was another cruel reminder that he was **alone. **It didn't feel real.

Felt too fast, too sudden. They'd only just been alive, talking and smiling and now they were so still and cold. His Mother's necklace was ruined, it was a present and his Dad was going to be so mad only he wasn't because they were both **gone.**

So Bruce grabbed the broken necklace and ran.

()

For as long as Bruce could remember his father had shown him the beautiful things about the ancient city of Gotham. The tragic history of bloodshed and darkness; how only the mad and desperate stayed. _"It's places like this that need help the most," his father had said on more than one occasion. "It's easy to help cities like Metropolis. They were born beautiful. Cities like Gotham require more effort."_

Yet as he ran through her streets, shirt sticky with **their** blood, Bruce felt dark fury color his thoughts. His father had been a wonderful man, his mother just as beautiful and Gotham had taken them, broken them just like she did everything else!

Bruce was running through the streets, bloody and an obvious target to the typical _scum _of her night and no one was so much as **looking **at him. He'd been ignored just like he was being ignored before by the –Murderer.

He stumbled to the ground, holding onto his sides. It was too hard to move, to think when there was such intense rage coursing through his veins. His parents had been murdered. Blood—their blood was on his shirt.

Thoughts were pounding in his head and buzzing at the same time. He pulled at his hair in hopes of getting it to **stop** and stiffened upon realization that the necklace was still gripped tightly in his hand. Things went eerily quiet in his mind, which was weird because he didn't feel any less angry.

Letting out an enraged yell, he pounded his fists against the cracked pavement. "I HATE YOU!"

She flinched and Bruce felt it. It struck something deep within him and he scowled through his tears. "Don't act _sad _– you took them from me! They loved you, tried to save you and you took them! I HATE YOU!"

Stood up and continued on, hating the reply. No words, but it held the distinct feeling of _I'm sorry. I loved them too. I'm sorry._

()

Bruce had heard stories, of how tainted Gotham's Cops were, usually in half-hushed whispers when he wasn't supposed to be listening. It had been confusing, seeing how he'd always been instructed for as long as he could remember that whenever lost or scared to find a police officer.

At the time he remembered thinking, _But if the Cops are the bad guys, then who's gonna help us?_

Now he knew better. There wasn't anyone, not here. Didn't have a Mama anymore, or a Dad –so would there even be an Alfred or would he leave too? Either way Bruce was alone.

Couldn't go back and help didn't exist as everything had all been lies. There wasn't good in everyone. The heroes didn't always get there in time to save the day. Good innocent people like his _parents _were taken – STOLEN – in the blink of an eye and there was no going back.

So Bruce continued forward, until he reached the last place his Father had taken him.

The lab was slightly run down, cold and dark but here there was a memory of a Thomas Wayne that currently wasn't – No. Not now he couldn't handle it now or possibly ever again.

_Blood – it's on me it's –_ No!

Scanned the room with wide eyes, trying to find something, anything to distract his mind from what had just happened. There! A door, slightly open filled him with hope as he crept forward into the room. The same man from earlier was there, only he was working on a different machine.

It was very tall, tall enough for even his father to stand in it. The thought stung, but the curiosity helped ease his mind back to the present. Carefully stepping over the various wires and metal parts that littered the floor, Bruce slowly made his way closer to his goal.

Now he was close enough to see what Mister Scientist was doing; messing with some wires in the machine's side. Must not have been very good, seeing how his face was turning colors and Bruce decided not to interrupt his concentration.

Instead he quietly stepped into the machine, running his hands over the little lights and switches that seemed to be _everywhere_. This looked like something out of one of those science fiction comics! Why hadn't the man shown _this _to his father instead?

It was probably a rude question but Bruce was curious and figured that after what he'd just been through he could stand to be a little rude.

"This is neat. My Dad would have…What is it?"

And that's when it happened.

The man jumped, accidentally crossing two wires with one. The machine came to life, whirring loudly and Bruce only had time to shoot him an evil glare before disappearing.

()

_Dr. Erdel wasn't a scientist or even a doctor. He was a tinkerer in bad science…(1)_

Erdel stared at the empty machine before him, unable to believe how horrible his luck was. Only _he _could send his boss's _only _son hurling into the deep depths of outer space. HOW was he supposed to explain that?! Thomas bragged about the boy all the time and once he found out that his pride and joy was now literally floating among the stars…

_Oh **god**. Do I really have to tell him?_

What? _What kind of thought is that_, his conscious screeched at him, even as he peeked through the windows to see if he could spot Wayne's car. Maybe he could deny having ever seen the boy? After all, if Bruce was in space (which he probably was) then he was dead by now. There was no evidence, no witnesses so really did he have to tell anyone?

Couldn't he just pretend that it never happened? After all, he was just a mad, loony doctor – what did he know, right?

So, with trembling fingers he decided to keep what he'd seen – what he'd _done—_to himself.

_Are you really going to do this? _His conscious asked. _This is wro—FIRE!_

His focus quickly turned to keeping his entire work's life from burning to a crisp, Bruce slowly fading to the back of his mind. Because really, what could be done about it now?

()

Bruce didn't feel any pain when he opened his eyes and sat up to look around. He was in a beautiful garden, and he faintly recalled having visited the place with his pa…OH! And there they were, his parents, having a picnic by the water, smiling at each other and very much alive. Disbelief and happiness surged through him as he ran in their direction, until he was finally able to do what he'd never thought he'd be able to do again, hug his Mom. Hugged her tight across the middle, relaxing into her warmth. Warm, she was warm. "You're alive!" he laughed out, so relieved. "It wasn't – you're alive, both of you!"

"Bruce?" his father sounded alarmed. "What are you – you're not supposed to be here!"

Confused, Bruce turned to look up at his dad and flinched at the **rage **he found there. "I'm not?"

"NO!"

Shrank back into the safety of Martha, who sighed, "Thomas you're scaring him. Don't listen to your father Bruce, it's fine."

"Don't lie to him!" His father exploded, face red. The world started to fade away at that point, his Dad's voice becoming harder to hear. "..Not…it's…okay! It's NOT…"

Bruce couldn't stop himself from reaching out, despite the fact he wasn't supposed to be there. "Please!" They were too busy arguing with each other to pay him any attention and he felt the tears fall. "I—I'm sorry! Please – let me stay with you! Please don't go! I'm sorry!"

His father's voice was almost gone but it was still easy to hear the hatred in his words. "_Not…we sacrificed EVERYTHING…they SAID…"_

It hurt.

/Author's Note/

Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Lemme know!

(1)-Taken from L'Narr's Song webpage. I love that page. Google it!


	3. A short snippet from little J'onn

Title: Mars: An Elseworlds Story (Revised)

Chapter Two: A short snippet from little!J'onn

()

It was night time on Malacandra. J'onn Jonzz laid on his floating bed, gazing up at the changing ceiling with dull eyes. Used to his twin brother would be right beside him, talking rapidly about whatever new thing he'd read about on his Padd that day...But then he'd been taken.

True, they hadn't been connected, not like siblings should have been but Malefic had still been _his _Twin. His brother. Lost now, forever.

Soon his other brother, Lhelum would be taken away from him as well, by the Sickness that currently plagued his people. J'onn curled into a small ball, fingers tightening around his covers nervously. The Sickness didn't effect the young, so he was safe. But it was contagious and _could _effect his parents. Sure, they looked fine now but...

"Everyone's leaving me, Male." he tried to speak to his twin every night, even if his brother never answered. "Even my little friend left. He appeared on top of me and I thought..." It had been a miracle, like a one of the gods was granting a private wish of his.

J'onn should have known better. "I went to return his necklace that I accidentally stole and they told me he died." A sad sigh. "When I first saw him, for one second I thought...maybe, you know... But it didn't. Hope sucks."

Golden eyes started to drift shut. "S'okay. M'used to it by now. G'night Malefic."

It would hurt less in the morning.

It always did.

/Author Note/

Just in case anyone cares:

Bruce's Age: 9

Malefic's Age: 8

J'onn's Age: 8

Although, keep in mind that one Martian year is equal to two Earth years. So...yeah.


	4. Introducing the Bat!

Title: Mars: An Elseworlds Story (Revised)

Chapter Three: Introducing: The Bat!

()

It wouldn't stop hurting. They were gone and Bruce was alone in the dark, unable to move or say anything. He could hear a strange language buzzing about around him but it was too hard to care when everything was hurting so much. It had been so beautiful, that place; it was all Bruce could think about, about how he hadn't been allowed in.

He tried to tell himself it was okay, but he wasn't very good at it. He was alone, truly. Didn't have any siblings, didn't have a Mom or a Dad anymore…

_I'm an orphan, _he realized with a sickening feeling, and somehow managed to roll over in order to be sick. Shouts of alarm rang out but he couldn't manage a care. What were they going to do – _tell his parents?_

_Alone, no one to care for you – you'll die alone, never see them again because you __**don't belong**__with them. You killed them you're sick you're a MURDERER! _He opened his mouth and screamed, sobs tearing from his throat as the images and voices continued to plague him. Someone was in his head, poking things around and upsetting his thoughts even further. Bruce groaned, wishing they'd stop.

It hurt it hurt it hurt – What kind of person would just – his heart clenched at the violent memories that responded to said thought. People, _people _stole things and just like last time there would be no one to stop it from happening, no hero to save the day. What if they took everything else?_ What if they take the memories and then it's just…me…_

The sense of panic and helplessness was growing. Couldn't take it all, they couldn't only they **could **because there was no one to **stop **them.

_That's not true, _his mind argued. _**You**__ could always stop them. You have to try._

Panic gave way to determination, realizing that his brain had a point. He'd already had his parents taken away – he was **not **going to let their memories get stolen as well. Only he really didn't know how to go about it when he was so weak. Couldn't beat them away with strength alone so…that meant he'd have to scare them away.

How was he supposed to do that when, according to his Mom, he was just so _adorable_? Scary things weren't called that. No, scary things had eerie eyes that stared into one's very soul and never blinked. They had wings that made strange noises as they flapped against the wind, blending in with the shadows until one couldn't see or hear where they went. One really didn't need to though because scary things had a dark presence all on their own, one that seemed to tease with promises of pouncing and devouring the very soul they'd spied in the first place.

_Like those stupid Bats…But I'm not a Bat either. _

Yet as he felt the person go through another door, invading on more personal memories, he decided that enough was enough. He was **done **with letting everyone steal things from him. So Bruce reached deep down and gathered up all his fear and anger, memories of that alley, of that **moment **when their eyes looked up at his with the life fading away and he started to mold it into a being.

One that was brave, fearless and dark. Had to be strong enough to stand tall, to protect and fight back against _people who stole things._

()

When They first brought the Boy in, Malefic had been worried. It was a fact that his people were beasts without mercy and he was so _fragile_. The Martian continued to watch as they took blood samples and started to run tests, worry growing as the Boy started to thrash around in a feverish manner. _No, no no don't be interesting! _

The Boy let out a horrible scream, one that had his own throat aching in sympathy. Then he rolled over to be sick, only narrowly missing one of Them. That was amusing, even if it did give Them enough of a push to try invading his mind.

Malefic had seen it happen before enough times to know what would soon follow (They weren't often gentle) and for the first time in ages, prayed. _Please be strong. Please! _

Silence, save for the pounding in his own skull, until a scream echoed throughout the room.

It didn't come from the Boy.

Hearing one of _Them _scream in fear for a change was quite the gift for Malefic. It was like the very first taste of revenge, with just a dash of hope and the mix between the two was satisfyingly sweet. He savored the moment as They slowly continued on and had a feeling that the Boy's mind remained untouched. Heh. Had they learned already? How boring.

_The scream was nice. I should thank him for that once he's able to talk. _Couldn't wait for that part, almost wished he hadn't Seen it so then it would still remain a surprise. Still, Malefic supposed that it gave him twice the opportunity to enjoy it.

Yes, he was truly blessed.

_You will bring death to all of Malacandra, Bruce Wayne of Earth._

It was a peaceful thought.

()

Time passed and things resumed back to normal. Other than his blood, the human didn't seem to be all that interesting or useful. Malefic tried to stay firm in his beliefs but after a while he started to have doubts. He'd been so sure of what he'd Seen in the beginning but...

There were no more screams from any of Them, and the Boy might as well have been dead, for he only moved to breathe. Everything else was done by the tubes and wires that ran everywhere...

What was _wrong?_

The question nagged at him but he was not a normal Martian, could not enter the Boy's mind with his own, so it went unanswered. Until finally, the reply came in the form of the black, glowing vial, presented during another one of their group's 'sessions'.

"Should we give it to the Boy?"

The visions swam before Malefic's eyes, his back arching off the slab as a violent shudder of pain wracked his body. "YES!" he blurted without thinking. "Yes! Give it to him!"

"NO!" one of the Others shouted over him in protest. "Do not! No!"

Anger rose at what felt like betrayal from the Others. How could they – did they not _See? _"If you give it to him, there will finally be peace!"

They ended up taking his word over the Others'. Malefic watched them inject the Boy with the glowing blue serum, wondering if perhaps it would be less painful due to his unconscious state but then the screaming started..

Bruce screamed until his voice gave out and he coughed up blood. There were no begging noises or pleas, not even when his body started to jerk and spasm out of control. The Martian watched him die twice but never panicked like They did, because he'd Seen things.

How could he worry when he knew what was to come?

()

If Bruce thought that everything hurt _before_, it positively ached with agony now. Didn't know what they'd given him, only that it burned and made the voices in his head (_freakMurdererSickSickSick) _all the more louder. Was this to be his punishment? To write in pain for all of eternity, in the darkness with only his thoughts for company?

_Do you honestly think you deserve anything else?_

No. He didn't, he knew that but the memories (couldn't exactly call them nightmares as what he'd see was **real**) were so awful, so vivid in their detail. For a while, Bruce simply lost himself in the waves of misery and suffering. It felt like he was drowning in them and just when he was able to get a gasp of air, he was pulled back underneath for another round. So when the memories suddenly turned more violent, bloody, he didn't think much of it, until a dark voice rumbled out, _"You? Of all the bodies they had to choose from they put me inside a weakling like __**you**__?"_

Someone was inside his head again, more rough than the last time about it, carving deep gouges in the walls and _plucking _at things in a way that had blistering pain shooting through his body. He choked, tried to scream but another _pluck _had everything growing fuzzy around the edges, forcing him still. _"I'm going to destroy your mind, funny little human, but only after I devour every last scrap of information in the most gruesome way possible. Observe."_

Another _pluck _and for a moment all Bruce could do was writhe, little more than a trembling mess once it finally leveled off.

Wasn't good, wasn't, they were going to _destroy _everything that was left and there was nothing Bruce could do to stop them! It was fact, stone cold that the intruder didn't bother to hide; they were **going** to continue to rip apart every piece of his memory and would only kill him once he'd begged for it.

It was tempting to lay down, to just accept that fact but it wasn't just him that would be destroyed – it was his _memories _of his parents, the only thing that he had left worth hanging onto! There was the same, helpless feeling from before and just like then it was bitter to swallow. Nothing he could do, nothing that would stop them...

_**Then I'll destroy it first, **_Bruce seethed mentally, the grounds starting to rumble dangerously in response. _**I'll burn it all to the ground before I let you win! **_Pillars of fire, bright and tall flew out down every corridor, devouring all in their path. The last thought he could form before the resounding pain from his actions hit, was a dazed, "I'm sorry."

Then everything went black.

/Authors Note/

Be prepared. Next Chapter is when things get real. Just stay with meh.

Oh, and review. Cause I'm awesome, and yalls opinions are awesome, and together... We can possibly make the world explode with awesomeness. I mean, sadface for the world getting destroyed and all but seriously – what a way to go, right?! "How did you guys die out?" "Honestly? We were so awesome the universe just couldn't handle us."

Isn't that a much more awesomer way to go out than something lame like an asteroid or war or global warming or invasion?

You're welcome.


	5. The Meeting of One

_Title: Mars: An Elseworld's Story_

_Chapter Four: The meeting of One_

_()_

_One didn't have a name. How could One, having been tossed aside by its very own creator as unwanted, have a name? The unwanted weren't given such consideration. Well, perhaps that wasn't true, if One remembered all the names its Creator had called it. **Diseased part of me that will lead to nothing but destruction. Must get rid, too violent, must hide, it will be the death of me, the death of everything!**_

_That wasn't fair, as One often tried to be gentle but then it would get angry and then 'things' would happen. It wasn't One's fault if everything else was too weak to handle the 'things'._

_Ahahahaha- and they'd scream and beg and cry so loudly, so prettily and the colors, they would all run together in different shades of blood, glorious BLOOD! It was all so much fun, One couldn't understand why its Creator was so cross about it all. Cross enough to cast One out, as if it was so insignificant, unimportant that it wouldn't even be missed. One had raged for aeons afterward, only quieting down when it had been joined by Others. _

_Others but not from Creator – but from **Children **of the Creator. Far more **boring **than the Creator had ever been. One still seethed with internal rage, but had been distracted from its anger by the company of Others. At least some of them were hopeful that their own creators would come back. One hadn't been given that comfort of delusion, though it did muse that perhaps that was the most kind way to go about things. False hope was more cruel in the end. _

_And they were all together, hidden in the dark away from sight. Until the Others, their creators came back._

_One spent the next aeon sulking when its Creator never showed up. Especially when the Children breed pests and give the rock - ONE'S rock - a name. _

_Malacandra._

_They had given the rock a name but not One. Now that was just mean. It was tempting to rage again, but One was honestly too tired to care. Let the pests have their Malacandra. The Others were still below, also hidden so One wasn't alone in its misery, which was nice. In the end, what did it matter?_

_Purple liked to cheer them up with visions. Images of far away planets and things that would be but weren't yet. "We wont stay hidden forever, we'll be found and we will become creators ourselves!"_

_One scoffed at such lies. How could it be a creator without a name? Yet One still felt longing for such a thing. No – One couldn't, to even think of it was foolish. _

"_Would you ever abandon them like we've been?" Purple asked, unable to let it go. "Just leave them to die?"_

_The question had One boiling with anger. "Of course not! And One would be sure to name it!"_

_Time passed and just as One was starting to think that Purple was full of lies...They were found. By some of the pests and they were brought into a horrible place. Screams from the young ones threatened to drive Purple mad and Yellow hadn't said a word since the entire ordeal started. One couldn't do much, being trapped in said form and spread out in separate vials. He was weakened but One could and **did **let some of his darkness leak out one of his cages. It descended upon the populace of Malacandra in the form of a deadly Sickness._

_The 'Martians' as they called themselves were soon begging, sobbing, pleading for forgiveness – from the creators! To add insult to injury, One's attack didn't even phase them as far as the experiments went. Then yellow had to go and have a fit, resulting in two deaths and one coma. One wished Yellow would hurry up and find his Chosen. Purple was eying a youngling and already was much calmer, even capable of forming more complex thought patterns._

"_Malefic, is his name! Oh he's brilliant, shines so bright but sometimes I think you two would get along far better."_

_One felt confusion, until Purple added, "He wants to destroy everything..?"_

_That piqued One's interest in the alien, and all it took was a subtle shift in influence to get them to bring it over to 'Malefic'. _

_Unfortunately the brat has a fit upon first sight of the black vial and uses Purple's influence to get all of One locked up. _

_One spent the time sulking, hurt and frustrated all at once. _

_Malefic hadn't even **tried**._

_When a part of One is brought out again, it is presented to Purple's younglings and asked a question._

"_Should we give it to the Boy?"_

"_What Boy?" One asked but it was ignored just like all the other times. _

"_YES! Yes!" Purple's favorite shouted, but seemed to be drowned out by all the Others saying no. Brats. "If you give it to him, there will finally be peace!"_

_One had to laugh at the outright **lie, **for it remembered the Creator's words well, and 'peace' had not been in the list of things it would bring. But the pests believe the lie and take a part of One to the Boy. _

_Oh._

_That was different looking from all the other younglings. To One's senses, there was a curious form of energy that surrounded the Boy's body. He didn't belong there, an unexpected anomaly. All too soon a part of One is forced inside the young body and the immediate information that One absorbs turns the curiosity to fury. The 'human' is young but weak and from what One can make of its body structure, would forever be weak compared to others. _

_What good was this?!_

"_Of all the bodies they had to choose from they put me inside a weakling like **you**?" One seethed as it dragged its claws up the walls of the pathetic mindscape, plucking at various memories as they crossed its path, tasting them. Bloody. Violent. Hmm. It forced the human to be still in the midst of panic. "I'm going to destroy your mind, funny little human, but only after I devour every last scrap of information in the most gruesome way possible. Observe."_

_One devoured another memory – sound of a gun, going off twice – and let its darkness bleed off into the Boy's body, enjoying the pain and death it brought. Heh, no wonder Yellow went on violent rampages so often. It was fun. One could sense the fear and helplessness seeping off of the human, and eagerly looked forward t the pleas and begging that was sure to come(One missed it so much). _

_Instead, the walls started to tremble. ***Then I'll destroy it first!* **The Boy's voice resonated throughout the place, strong and fierce. ***I'll burn it all to the ground before I let you win! ***_

_Fire surged throughout the mindscape, causing One to withdraw its influence almost completely from the human's body. It finally managed to calm down enough so as to be able to concentrate and banish the flames. Singed walls, some almost burned down completely and piles of ash were all that remained of the human's mind._

"_He...destroyed it." One's voice was full of disbelief and slight admiration. Rather than beg for mercy that would never come, the Boy decided to end it on his own terms. _

_And what had been that apology at the end? What was **that **about? Oh no, One couldn't let him go, not when there was so much potential. _

_But the boy was so weak. It would take three times as much energy to fix all that was wrong with it, both body and mind. Yet despite the torching of his own mind and two almost-deaths... The Boy still stubbornly hung onto life._

_Could One, cast off of the Creator, bringer of Death and Destruction of All, honestly nurture another? Aeons ago the idea had seem laughable, to think One to be considering it now – for a human of all things! Wasn't it a bit too fast, to accept the first offering? One considered the Boy's last words and would have grinned, had it a physical body._

_***Then I'll destroy it first! I'll burn it all to the ground before I let you win!***_

_It was like the Boy had been reading directly from One's being. Would there ever be a more perfect match? _

_The part of One was too weak alone to do the job. Another dose was needed, only the pests were being stupid and insisting One had something to do with its fever that had broken out! Well, perhaps One had, but now it was trying to help. Took a bit of influence (One was slightly out of practice) but eventually enough of it leaked out to get Them to inject another dose. This time One was far more gentle, traveling throughout the Boy's body and the corridors of his mind to better get a feel of things._

_After a while, One started to feel lost. Having never been created itself, only cast off **from **the Creator, One didn't even know where to begin. _

_It didn't know anything about the human or – oh._

_Of course! One needed to /become/ the Boy. To absorb and be absorbed in turn. _

_Still, all things considered, it felt rude not to ask. ***I am One, cast off of the Creator, bringer of Death and Destruction of All. One names itself as your Creator and you as One's Chosen.* **_

_That was asking, sort of. Were any of them really given a choice in the end?_

_Silence, but a weak voice eventually responds, ***Is this punishment?***_

_One wasn't quite sure how to answer that. There wasn't any anger, so it didn't seem like a punishment. But punishment usually meant pain, blood and suffering, which were all very nice things. ***Can be. Would you like that?* **One's voice turned eager. ***Would you like it to hurt? ***_

_***Yes. I deserve it. All of it and more.***_

_There was firm conviction in those words and it sent chills through One's being. This was going to be so fun! ***Why? Why do you deserve it? Tell this One.* **One snaked its energy through the mindscape, smashing against the burns viciously. The Boy made such loud noises of agony, most amusing. _

_***They're dead because of me. I don't...remember but I know I—I killed them both.***_

_One is able to make out half-burned images and sensations, frayed remains of the human's memories. A dark alleyway, loud bang and woman screaming, followed by another bang and the sharp scent of blood in the air as he stood over their bodies. A killer at such a young age – how perfect of a match indeed! One happily melted further into the Boy's mind, sure to make it as painful as he could handle – and perhaps a little more sometimes, otherwise what was the point?_

_Time passed as One continued to sink its being deeper into the Boy's, molding the body along as it saw fit to. The Boy would be his, a beautiful Creation just as One used to be. In addition to the pain, One slowly started to share some of its collective knowledge and experience with the Boy. _

_***Don't I have a name?*** the Boy asked in between the bouts of pain, and the question tugged at One in a way that was uncomfortable._

_How was One to name another, having never been named itself? It seeks the answer from Purple, who seemed to know a lot about everything. *** Purple, the boy needs a name! ***_

_***Call him Bruce* **her voice was tinged in amusement, and it only increased as One debated the name. Bruce? Did that fit its Chosen? ***Trust me. It fits.***_

_After careful consideration, One decided to trust in Purple's judgment. * **Your name is Bruce and you are my Chosen. We will bring destruction and death.*** _

_Bruce didn't answer, not even to give thanks for his name – something which struck One as ungrateful. The next round is more painful than usual, in tune with its rage. _

_Finally the human choked out, ***My name is Bruce and I will be MORE than that. ***_

_One couldn't help but be impressed. Such willpower in the youngling, even if it was futile in nature. ***You can try.***_

_***Watch me**,* came the determined hiss._

_/Author Note/_

So I hope it doesn't bug anyone, but most encounters with One will be in italics. Just because most of them take place in Bruce's mind, and for some reason that style seems to help One's voice flow through meh. But whatever, not important, what IS is that yall lemme know what ya think of One!


	6. little J'onn is so tired

Title: Mars: An Elseworlds Story (Revised)

Chapter Five: Another snippet from little!J'onn

_/ Mars /_

There was a constant sharp pain in J'onn's mind, that made it so hard to wake up. There used to be many bonds that connected his soul to those of his family and the gaping holes that their absences brought... Only his v'lmnta remained and that fact hurt almost as bad as his head did.

It was important to wake up, his V'lmnta needed him to be strong but it was so hard when everything had been taken away by either the Gods or the Sickness. Being awake was too much right now. Couldn't he be awake later?

J'onn mentally tugged at the bond, relaxing upon the faint brush of warmth that answered. His V'lmnta was responding now, an improvement from earlier. _*M'sorry*_, he sent. *_Not strong. So tired.._*

Another brush of warmth. *_Sleep now, k'nika. We'll deal with the world later._*

The warmth stayed until he fell asleep.

()

I include these that way yall can see what's going on outside of the testing facility that Bruce and Malefic and so many other kiddies are bein held captive. Also, cause iddle!J'onn is so cutes when he's sad.


	7. Promises made

Title: Mars: An Elseworlds Story (Revised)

Chapter Six: Promises Made

_()_

One was starting to see that being a Creator was...an experience, both good and bad. Bad because Bruce was always asking questions, seemed to be fighting the absorption of One every step of the way, which would lead to the next problem; how weak Bruce was. Too often One would Rage and end up accidentally hurting the human.

And he had so many emotions and felt them so fast on a scale that would make One dizzy trying to keep up. But each time Bruce finally understood something and they'd grow a little closer, the hole that had been left by the Creator seemed to shrink just a little.

Sometimes One wished its Creator would come back, give it some advice. It couldn't blame Bruce for not trusting it, considering how their first meeting ended with the human having to commit suicide. Even if Bruce couldn't seem to remember all the details, he was still hesitant.

Had One ever asked so many questions of the Creator?

_***Who are you?***_

_*One is One.*_

_***How do I know I can trust you?***_

_*One says you can. One does not lie.*_

_***What are you?***_

_*I am One, cast off of the Creator, bringer of Death and Destruction to All.*_

_***Where am I?***_

_*In your mindscape. Your body is not fit to be conscious right now. One is working on it.*_

_***Who am I?***_

_*You are Bruce, One's Chosen.*_

_***What am I?***_

_*You are One's Creation.*_

But perhaps the most trying of all was, ***You say we bring Death and Destruction to All. But why? Why does everything have to die?***

After brief consideration, One realized that it couldn't answer such a question. Well, it could, but not if it wanted Bruce to believe the answer, which was very true. _*Would you like to talk to someone who can tell you why?*_

Bruce's answer was almost immediate. _***Yes.***_

Its Creation wanted answers? Very well then; he could discover the horrors for himself and afterward, One would be there to explain.

()

Malefic was in the midst of another 'session' when suddenly he was pulled out of his body. A strange sensation, one quite dizzying but that didn't matter when he saw just **who** stood before him.

Bruce Wayne of Earth.

Who was looking around the room with a horrified look on his face, anger taking over as the screams and whimpers started to grow. "What is this place?"

It was strange, to suddenly be able to speak to his idol, a thing he had dreamed of for ages.

So many questions, and apparently he wasn't alone. "What are they doing?!"

Malefic wanted to answer but the rage that was starting to color the boy's words had him slightly nervous. "It is...a laboratory, I think? We are test subjects for Purple."

The anger that he could feel off Bruce had a delightful shiver running down his back. "I am Malefic. I have eagerly awaited your arrival for quite some time."

The switch to guilt was so fast it almost made the alien stumble. He hated that side-effect of Purple, how sensitive she'd make everything seem.

"You shouldn't have," Bruce's voice was soft. "My arrival is not a good thing for your planet or people."

Visions of what was to be sprang up in mind. "Yes. Everything will die."

There must have been something in his voice that the human didn't like for he jerked away as if burned. "And that pleases you?"

Malefic felt his own rage start to build. How could such a thing not please him after all that They'd done?! The answer came and in exasperation he said, "You do not know. You have not seen what we have gone through! It is – you do not know! You do not!"

Bruce shifted forward but the blow that Malefic halfway expected, never came. Cool hands cupped his face instead and there was such softness to the vivid blue eyes, a kindness he hadn't been prepared for. "Show me?"

"I don't know how!" To Malefic's shame, a sob broke free. "I am not like the Others. I am not useful like they are!"

The grip on his chin tightened almost painfully. "You are outside your body- They can't see me; you can. I'd say that makes you pretty useful."

There was such conviction in Bruce's voice; a part of Malefic melted, even as he continued to protest, "But I cannot show you what you need to see!"

"That's alright. My Creator can show me." A slight pause, followed by a tilt of the head and a frustrated sound. "Well, not now. Now we have to return." He released the alien and went to leave, stopped by the tight grip on his hand. Malefic didn't want him to go?

Confused, he turned back. "What is it?"

"Will you come back to see me?"

Bruce blinked. "You want me to?"

"Please."

"Ahm...okay." He didn't sound so sure.

Malefic scowled, tugged on the boy's arm. "Promise?"

For some reason, that word caused Bruce to stiffen and his chest to tighten painfully. Promise, something about that word, made everything hurt. He'd made a promise, once...he looked at the scared face in front of his, the fear...how could he possibly say no to someone like that? He jerked his arm away, annoyed despite himself. "Yes, alright? I promise to return to this dump, _happy_? Weirdo."

He faded away just in time to miss the grateful smile Malefic gave.

()

One wasn't sure if the 'field-trip' to the outside world had been good for its Chosen or not. Bruce was still quite fragile, mental wise. His body was coming along nicely enough but the absorption process that was needed to speed along the rebuilding of the torched mindscape and answer all the questions the human had...

Bruce continued to resist said process every step of the way, even after having met Malefic. _*__**I don't want to be your puppet!***_

_*You are One's Chosen, not Puppet!* _It was almost hurt by the lack of trust. _*One will absorb and be absorbed in return. You will not be erased.*_

One wished it could simply force its Chosen but there was something...A type of mental block that had withstood even the fire. There weren't many stable things left in Bruce's mind, so One really didn't wish to destroy it. But this was taking so long, winning his Chosen over.

First impressions were hard to take back, it supposed.

Bruce let out a growl. _***Can't you just show me?***_

_*One is limited in One's abilities in this form. Absorption is the only way.*_

_***And now we're back to the whole puppet thing.***_

This was getting ridiculous. _*You. Are. One's. Chosen.*_

_***I. Don't. Trust. You.***_

One's limited patience snapped; he surged forward in a Rage, wracking pain and agony along its Chosen's body.

If Bruce didn't want to see reason then One was done with trying to be nice. It came up to the mental block and gave an experimental push. Unbelievably, the block pushed back! Curious, One pushed again, harder this time, retreating when a shadow surged up from the surface. White slits for eyes, could barely make out the details of what the thing was –

But the matches in the thing's hands had One backing up uneasily at the threat. Not to it, but to Bruce. He wouldn't be able to survive another 'incident'.

The shadow spoke words that didn't make much sense but sensations of anger and protectiveness made the message clear enough: _**Stay away or I will burn it all.**_

It was reminded of its first encounter with the human. _I'll burn it all to the ground before I let you win!_

One sulkily retreated and after mulling things over, decided to take a breather from its Chosen. So the next time another Part of it is introduced to Bruce, it kicks his consciousness out of his body and starts to repair the damage done by the Rage from earlier.

_*Go play with Malefic.*_ One ordered, amused when Bruce obeys without comment.

/Author's Note/

So what do you think? Kinda weirded out by all this? Lemme know!


	8. Absorption of One

Title: Mars: An Elseworlds Story (Revised)

The Absorption of One

()

Bruce could have been mad at having been kicked out of his own body, but he did promise a certain alien he'd return and it had to have been awhile since their last visit. He couldn't be sure though; it was hard to keep track inside the mindscape. Promise in mind, he went without complaint, though he did stare at his body for a bit longer this time. Tubes and wires ran everywhere and his skin seemed to be glowing with energy –had it always done that? He couldn't remember otherwise but there was a niggling sense of wrongness to it all. One often referred to him as a 'human'. Did humans glow?

Deciding to ignore it for now, he continued on until he was standing in front of Malefic's body. This time it was his turn to wait, floating above his..well, he guessed they were friends. Promising to return seemed like something a friend would do, as did getting upset over how much pain they were in...The screams of agony seemed to fall from his lips much louder than the others. By the time Malefic came 'outside', he was practically boiling with fury, forgoing the greeting to snap, "How bad does it hurt?! Someone should stop Them!"

Malefic didn't care about the pain. All he cared about was that his friend had returned. "You came back!"

A scowl. "Of course I came back. I promised, didn't I?"

"That doesn't mean much. _They _promise things all the time and never –ack!" His words were lost when he was yanked forward by an enraged human. He struggled briefly but the boy's hold was strong. "L-let me go!"

His plea went ignored. "I am _nothing _like Them. Do you understand me?! Nothing!"

"Then why are we still here?" Malefic whispered, almost aching with emotion. "Why haven't you saved us yet? You're the only one who can and you wont! Why?!"

Bruce let him go, trembling. "I'm...But I can't even...I'm too **weak.**"

"You're supposed to save us! You PROMISED!"

Blue eyes narrowed in aggravation. "I promised to return, not to save you!"

"But you will."

Staring at Malefic, Bruce knew it to be true, felt it in his very being. Ridiculous, the way he was being stared at, as if he held all the answers to the alien's problems, answers that he didn't **have**. It would mean sacrificing everything to One, to absorb and be absorbed in return. In the end though, what did it matter?

They needed saving, he was apparently the only one who could do it, so how was he supposed to say no? He suddenly felt very tired. "Yes. I will save you from this place. All of you." The last thing Bruce saw before retreating back to his mindscape, was the look of utter relief on Malefic's face.

Shouldn't have looked back. Now he had to go through with it.

()

_In the mindscape, Bruce sat down. Things weren't hurting, which was a nice considering the pain he'd been feeling from the earlier Rage. One had quite a temper, another reason why trusting it was so hard but that wasn't important anymore. *One, I am weak.*_

_The usual black, swirling mass appeared in front of him. *Not as weak as before, but yes. One's Chosen is still very weak.*_

_***The...absorption..thing. It...I'll be stronger, right? Strong enough to save people?***_

_Save people? What an odd thought. Regardless, it answered honestly. *Yes. But you still do not trust One.*_

_***No.* **He laughed slightly. ***But there's other things to worry about now. I made a promise. And if we're going to do this, I need you to promise me something too.***_

_*What is it?* One was eager to start the process. It should have introduced its Chosen to Purple's ages ago. *What do you require of One?*_

_Bruce's fists tightened.** *You have to make me strong. Strong enough to stop Them. Promise me I'll be able to stop them all!***_

_Again, One's Chosen seemed to be reading directly from its being. It swooped forward, wrapping itself around Bruce's form. *Yes. One promises all that and more. * Slight pause. *Do you still wish it to hurt?*_

_A tired smile. ***Surprise me.***_

_Truly, they were meant to be together._

_()  
_

_Absorbing One was a curious process in that it was painful in some aspects but not in others. Memories that aren't his own swam about in his mind, and there was a constant tugging at the back of his mind that said the experience was mutual. Nothing was held private between them._

_Bruce felt it all. The urge to draw blood that constantly drummed in One's being. Excitement over the chase, such a glorious moment when the kill would come and blood, in such beautiful colors, would spill out! So many different shades of the stuff, he'd never known. Green, silver, purple, blue, brown – but red was by far the most beautiful of them all. Chosen bled so nicely when pained, it was so much **fun! **And it **was **fun, Bruce could feel the joy and happiness that One felt whenever the color would bleed out. _

_And the darkness, there was so much of it, threatening to swallow him whole. There was no escape, the shadows filled to every corner and crevice until all the light was gone, leaving him helpless to its whim. He tried to find the light, his light, and despaired at how faded it was becoming. That was important, it was but he couldn't remember why._

_*The light is weakness,* One's voice pointed out._

_***But it's mine,* **he argued, not willing to budge. ***I need it.***_

_One sighed. Things had been going along so well, it should have known. Still, it tried to be patient, tried to keep in mind that its Chosen was young, and thus, foolish.*The light is hurt by the darkness, is it not? In order to fight darkness, you must become dark. Light will never understand the darkness and so, will never be able to stop it.*_

_***No.* **Bruce remained stubborn. ***I'm not like you, One. I like having a little bit of light. It helps me see the darkness.***_

_It had never considered that. Needing light in order to see the darkness? One had never had any light to begin with, could only go off what it had observed and from what it could tell, the light did nothing but cause its Chosen to hurt. _

_Such weakness, why did he care to hold on to it?_

_***It's a part of me. I won't get rid of it just because it hurts! I need that pain! ***_

_Bruce seemed determined to keep hold to that part of him, which meant that rather than smothering, One was going to have to absorb the light._

_There was only a small amount of the stuff though, probably wouldn't even feel anything. Cautiously, One brushed against it, jerking away at the unexpected warmth. That was – what was that? It touched again, and the warmth returned, sending tingles throughout One's entire being. The light was dim, but **thick **in density and seemed to follow when it tried to pull away. One wasn't quite sure how to handle that – light **liked **it?_

_Liked One, who was so cold and dark and everything **not** light? Confusing, not at all what had been expected – the light was supposed to cower and try to avoid One, not eagerly seek out its presence! _

_*One should destroy you,* It told the light almost sulkily. Normally, there would be no doubt about what to do. The light was weakness and warmth and so **beautiful**, just begging to be devoured. But for the first time, It **thought **about the consequences. Bruce, Chosen, didn't trust it but was putting his entire being in its care regardless. If One did this, how could it honestly think to be any different than the Creator? Getting rid of the part of Bruce that 'annoyed' it, as if that part didn't matter – no. NO! One did not want to, **would not** be like the Creator. _

_So One said the words it had wanted to hear from the Creator all those aeons ago. *I accept this weakness of yours, Creation mine.* Wrapped itself around the light, but didn't know if it could resist the temptation if it tried absorption and decided not to try. Instead, it would protect the light from the darkness, both inside and out. _

_After that, Bruce seemed more willing to trust it and the absorption process went a lot smoother._

_()  
_

_Having a pretty-much barren mindscape, Bruce absorbed information from One like a sponge. Which made the darker parts of One especially trying, as its Chosen apparently **still** liked to question everything. Honestly, One had never been so – okay yes, it had. _

_Sometimes One had a feeling that the Creator knew what was happening and was having a great big laugh somewhere._

_A big issue Bruce had with the darkness was the Death To All Things part. Even after having seen all that They had done to the children, he was still reluctant. ***Why? Why do we have to kill?***_

_*Because it's fun!* What was so difficult to comprehend about that?! *The blood, so many colors – has One shown you the colors?* _

_His Chosen smiled slightly. ***I've seen the colors. And the screams and..* **his fingers twitched. ***Right. I'm not saying that the hurting and pain isn't fun. But once we kill, they're dead.***_

_*Oh? One wasn't aware.* One had recently learned about sarcasm and found great amusement in applying the knowledge often._

_***Then we can't play with them anymore! They get to die and we're stuck with their deadly remains. How is that fair?* **_

_Hmm. One's Chosen made a valid point. It had never thought of things that way before. *Keep them alive so we can play with them more? But then we'll grow bored – do we let them live afterward even then?*_

_***Would you rather them die so they can forget about all the fun we had together?***_

_Just the suggestion was enough to make One balk. Had all its hard work along the years, to be remembered and etched into its enemies' memories forever – truly been a waste?! *They FORGET?!*_

_***That's right.*** Bruce's voice was hard, and there was a faint image of a beautiful field with a river, and no pain – nothing hurt anymore. Bliss. Oh, but One's Chosen was unfit for such a place (YoureNotSupposedToBeHere) and was cast out – by his own Creators? Hard to make out the details of a memory half-destroyed by fire._

"_Don't...lie...Not...it's...okay! It's NOT...Not...We sacrificed EVERYTHING...they SAID..."_

_One hadn't been aware that it was possible to feel such pain for another._

_Even if its Chosen didn't care for the sympathy. ***I killed them – of course I wouldn't be allowed in that place – where ever it was.***_

_*If you have killed before, why hesitate to do so again?* It honestly didn't understand what was holding him back. He had such potential.._

_***What if I can't stop?*** Bruce's sounded like he'd given the topic a lot of thought. ***What if we kill and kill until there's nothing left and there's just us? Could you imagine?***_

_One didn't have to, could easily recall its time trapped in solitude with only its own thoughts for company. It had been so **boring **and lonely, worse than death as it could remember a **before **and that had been what hurt most of all. _

_***Wouldn't it be horrible?***_

_One didn't believe in lying. *Indeed, yes. Very well, One shall try its hardest to not kill if you do.* It paused slightly and then firmly stated, *But there will be blood.*_

_***Oh yes,*** Bruce agreed easily. ***A lot of blood.***_

_*And pain.*_

_***Yes.***_

_*Screaming?*_

_***Of course. What would be the point without it?***_

_*Can we bleed too?*_

_***If you like.***_

_How did One ever get so lucky?_

_/Author Note /_

REVIEW! Soon, well, maybe, things will pick up again. I say maybe cause as I type this, I've yet to write anything else, so I dunno if things will pick up in the next chapter or not. Either way, lemme know what yall think of One and Bruce's relationship. Isn't it interesting? I think so.


	9. Dreams

_Title: Mars: An Elseworlds Story_

_Dreams_

_()_

_/Earth/  
_

Alfred wasn't used to dreaming. Or sleeping, either. Hadn't done much of that ever since That Night, since they'd found Thomas and Martha's bodies with no sign of Bruce. That had been the first time in years that he drank, cup after cup until their memories blurred and the hurt eased up enough so he could breathe. The money, of course, had all been left to him, which made him one of the prime suspects. He'd cooperated as best as he could and in the end was cleared of all charges. It didn't help ease the guilt or soulless feeling at all.

A year passed and it slowly became easier to handle, if Alfred didn't think about it. So he tried not to, instead focusing his energies on finding something to do with himself now that he never had to work a day in his life. But it was like the plug had been pulled, everything was so dull and gray. Heavy thoughts for a heavy soul and his dreams, whenever he had any, were often a reflection of that.

But this time….was different.

Where he was, Alfred didn't quite know. First there had been darkness but then it had folded in on itself to make space for a vast room that appeared out of nowhere. It held a few corridors but it all seemed...dull, for some reason. As if to even bother to sift through the contents of the bookshelves would be a waste of time as well as interest. There was a curious pulse of agony that seemed to make the foundation shake every now and then but for the most part, it was pretty normal.

Boring normal, even.

**_*First level* _**A voice rang out, in a language that was unlike any he'd ever heard before, yet achingly familiar in tone.

Didn't know how he could understand it, deciding to chalk it up as a strange dream thing as he asked, "Is this you? This place?"

**_*Sort of. Funny, you even sound like him. I wish you were real.*_**

He bristled at the words 'if you were real'. What sort of thing was that to say? "You're a strange _room _void feeling pain -" As if on cue another tremble shook the place. "-and talking to my person. If anyone is 'not real' it's you."

Something soft brushed against him, tickling his senses light enough for him to recognize it as laughter. ***_You normally called me 'Master Bruce'._***

Alfred suddenly found it hard to breathe again. Wasn't possible, this was just a dream and it was important to remember that. "The Waynes have all perished."

The pain was joined by echoes of sadness and guilt that it far outweighed his own. ***_Not all. Not me. Sorry._***

Continuing on such a conversation with nothingness just wouldn't do anymore. "I demand you show yourself to me at once!"

It took a moment, but eventually a form took place in front of him and what he saw – not Bruce, not as he remembered. His hair was longer and his skin was doing a strange glowing thing, but he still had the same vivid blue eyes and quirky not-smile. Eyes so haunted, so full of misery that for a moment Alfred forgot it was just a dream, pulling the look-a-like into a tight hug. "Oh I am sorry, Master Bruce, so very very sorry." Not-Bruce trembled in response but didn't pull away or resist the touch.

Alfred struggled to talk round the lump in his throat. "I wish...I wish they would have at least left you." They'd never been able to find a body and if dream-Bruce managed to point them in the right direction...

The image scowled, but again didn't speak out loud or in English. ***_Not an image. __You're __the fake._*** His face softened. ***_It's probably a good thing you're not here._***

"Where is 'here', Master Bruce?" Alfred demanded, not pleased in the least when Bruce's lips quirked in a not-smile. ***_Wouldn't believe me even if I told you._***

His stomach churned uneasily at the possibilities of where the boy's body might be. "Was it...quick?" Didn't know why he was asking the image as if it were really Bruce, but it was his dream and he wasn't going to be telling anyone about this so what did it matter?

Not-Bruce tilted his head in curiosity. ***_I'm not dead, Alfred. Honest. I almost died but-_***

"Almost?!" The butler felt his insides flutter with what felt like hope and tried to squash it. Wasn't the young Master, it wasn't and to get worked up over a dream would just be foolish.

***_But that was after I ran,_*** the dream continued on as if never interrupted, face becoming pained as it stated, ***_I'm sorry, for killing them. I didn't mean to._***

Just a dream, but he couldn't stand seeing such a heartbroken look on any form of Bruce, real or otherwise. "Master Bruce, I do not blame you. I'm sure they do not either."

It was the wrong thing to say, apparently. The dream jerked back as if burned, the trembling increased and there were tears. ***_They __do __blame me! I saw them, in that beautiful place and they didn't want me to stay!_***

Alfred balked at such notions. "I don't know what you heard or saw but they would not blame you. They were better people than that."

Images flew through the place so fast that he grew dizzy. It took him a moment but eventually his mind processed the information. The fight between Thomas and Martha, _It'sNotOkayDon'tLieToTheBoy_, Bruce fading away only to hear the worst of it; _WeSacrificedEverything!_

For the first time in ages, Alfred was mad at Thomas, a dark fury that threatened to swallow him whole. It wasn't what it liked like, couldn't have been but for Thomas to be so careless, to not even think... "I do not blame you," he restated firmly, for some reason **needing **this dream version of Bruce to believe that. He hugged him as tight as possible. "You did nothing wrong. Nothing. I do not blame you and I never, ever will Master Bruce."

The dream faded into nothingness soon afterward and Alfred woke up feeling refreshed for the first time in months. Just a dream, it wasn't real but either way he still couldn't stop himself from lecturing Thomas about it as he did his daily round of cleaning. "_Honestly_ Master Wayne, to be so callous as to say that in front of the boy – what were you thinking?"

/Author Note/

So, how did Alfred and Bruce manage to share a dream when Bruce was supposedly 10,000 years in the past?

Any of you guys watch Doctor Who?

_"People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually — from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint — it's more like a big ball of wibbly-wobbly... timey-wimey... stuff." _

— The Tenth Doctor, Doctor Who, "Blink"

That's right. It's timey-wimey. Deal with it, foo'.

Anyways, Review! ^0^


	10. One's Promise

_Title: Mars: An Elseworld's Story (Revised)_

_One's Promise_

_()_

One's Chosen often had to sleep and would dream about things that he couldn't remember whilst awake. Sometimes One watched the dreams, but mostly it took the chance to relax and catch up on things it had been too busy to pay attention to earlier. Like Purple; she'd been quite worked up over something lately and had been sending urgent vibes its way.

So while Bruce was 'out', One asked Purple what all the fuss was about.

She wasn't happy. *This is all your fault!*

_*Possibly,*_ One agreed breezily. _*But in order to be sure, One must know of what you speak.*_

*You made too much progress with the Boy!* she wailed. *They're going to MOVE the children! To another planet!*

One wished it had shoulders to shrug. _*New planet could be fun.*_ Why was she getting so worked up over this?

*You don't understand!*

_*Clearly.*_

Lightning shot through her purply-mist form in tune with her anger. *In any version where the children are moved, they die. All of them! Even your _precious_ Chosen.*

THAT got One's attention. Bruce couldn't die – they'd only just begun! _*What do you propose we do?*_ If Purple was talking to it, she'd better have a plan.

She fell quiet for a bit and then, *The children need to be found beforehand.*

It scoffed, _*If you are hoping that some of the other Pests will find them on their own, you are foolish. They are notoriously hard of thinking.*_ Praying to the 'Gods' to deliver them from the Sickness when One had been behind the entire thing, for instance.

*Well, yes, they are that. Which is why we need to draw their attention to this place.*

One didn't really like that idea. There were still quite few Parts left that its Chosen needed. It could up the dosage, as Bruce's body was now able to withstand the extra 'juice' but to speed things up that quickly...Besides, how were they to do such a thing in the first place?

*Well if you hadn't wasted so much Influence on that blasted Sickness, we wouldn't be having this problem!* she sniffed. *As it is now, we'll have to combine our energies.*

It looked around and noticed that Yellow was curiously absent from the conversation. _*What of Yellow? Can he not help as well?*_

*Yellow...had to be silenced. He was killing too many children.*

One shifted backwards slightly. _*Silenced? How did you silence Yellow?*_ Now that it was paying attention, the lightning that wracked her form did hold a yellow-ish tint. How was such a thing possible and more importantly, was it at risk as well?

*Yellow and I are siblings,* Purple explained. *Absorbing him was an easy task, seeing how he kept using up all his energy Raging. As for you...I couldn't even begin to fathom. Bruce stands alone.*

One relaxed upon hearing that, and couldn't help but feel pride for its Chosen. It still had doubts but they were passing in tune with the sols. _*How much time is left?*_

*Enough for most of your Parts but not all.* she sighed, almost longingly. *And certainly not enough for me, as I have nearly doubled in size.* A slight laugh. *You should have seen Their faces when Yellow suddenly shifted to my color. They're still panicking about that.*

There was a curious pang of sadness that One felt, knowing that there wasn't enough time. _*Most of you will remain behind? Alone?*_

Another sigh. *How I wish. No, I'm afraid my path is not to be that blessed.*

Rage filled One, the blackness swirling violently for it knew of her abilities but could only imagine the horrors that awaited her. A gentle, caring color like Purple didn't stand a chance. _*They will hurt you greatly.*_

*Yes,* her voice held a bit of fear. *They will. And because of Their actions, I will pain Others as well.* The blackness had now expanded to where it was brushing up against the edge of her. The biting cold she'd been expecting was showed up by a soft warmth, something that hadn't been there before. Was she feeling light?

_*Would you like Them to suffer for their wrongdoings?*_ One asked.

She hesitated, eyeing the steadily moving darkness. Her Creator abhorred violence, would have been ashamed to know she was even thinking about One's offer. *I...I am supposed to tell you no. I should tell you no.* But the visions, swirled about in her being, showing her things of what would be, what she would **do**, all because of Them.

The darkness was enveloping her all around, but still there wasn't any hint of a threat. Rather she felt...safe. For the first time in forever, since she'd first been cast out. She melted into the warmth, a pleased sigh escaping her.

_*Do you. Want us. To hurt Them?*_

Purple could hear the screams, even now. *I shouldn't.* Could smell their tears, taste the blood and fear – _PleaseStopYoureHurtingMePlea sePleaseI'mSorryS'rryS'rryPlease_ -

_*Do you?*_

*Yes!* she sobbed out, hating herself so much that it hurt. *Make them pay. Make them suffer the way others will. Make them rue the sol they found us! *

_*One promises,*_ It purred silkily. _*One promises all that, and more.*_

Wrong, so wrong, but Purple couldn't help the sense of peace that washed over her at those words. In the end, she wasn't as kindhearted as her Creator had been, though wasn't that obvious given her destined future?

_/Author Note/_

So any of all got any theories as far as who One, Yellow and Purple are? Hit me up!


	11. Discovery

Titles: Mars: An Elseworlds Story

Discovery

()

Malefic stared at the special room that housed Bruce, trying to fight the urge to panic. He had no reason to worry, really. Things were coming along fine – the human had long gained the ability to breathe on his own and seemed to be growing steadily stronger as the sols passed. So why, why did he feel so uneasy? The visions held the same sweet promises of death, so why, why was he getting so worked up?! Was it because everything seemed to be going so well?

He really hoped not.

The sols came and went and soon They started to notice the improvements. Talks of the Sickness, about a cure that could be found in the human's blood, had his own turning cold with fear. It would be so typical of his people to ruin Bruce just like everything else. But other than the more frequent taking of blood, the only thing that changed was the dosages of Black.

They _doubled_ it.

When the human didn't start to slip into a seizure and die, Malefic didn't know what to think anymore. Such a dosage would have killed him and the others – what if They started to think otherwise? His sense of unease was growing stronger in the passing of the sols and the visions were curiously blank about what was to come, only that there would be death.

What was going on?

*_Be strong,_* he begged Bruce silently. *_This can't have all been for nothing. We've come so far, please, save us! I don't want to die here_!*

Their time was coming to an end, he could feel it.

Something had to be done soon.

()

Malefic struggled against his restraints, raw screams tearing from his throat. "NO! You can't! NO!"

Nononononono if they left this planet there would be only death, the end, he knew it to be true so why weren't They listening?! The others, they saw too so it wasn't just him! A sedative was given to him but it only made the panic grow. Everything was crumbling to pieces right in front of his eyes and the human was just as limp as before.

Bruce even managed to remain unconscious when They began the rough process of removing the tubes and wires to prepare for transportation.

Hope was fading away fast and Malefic fought to hold on to it. No, couldn't give up, not yet. Not when he still had energy to fight, that was important. "BRUCE! BRUCE YOU HAVE TO WAKE UP NOW!"

Nothing.

The only thing his efforts accomplished besides furious looks from Them was a harsh blow to get him to quiet down. He cried out, having never felt such deep hatred before for his people. Things were supposed to be different. This wasn't what the visions had promised at all! Rage began to take hope's place as They proceeded to restrain the boy to a cage of his own. Either cruelty or stupidity had Them placing the cage next to his.

He scowled at Bruce, not caring if the gesture could be seen or not. "You were supposed to save us. You promised. You're nothing but a liar!"

It was then that Malefic heard a most beautiful sound. Had heard it once, almost a year ago only this time it was far greater in strength and number. They were all screaming this time, clutching at Their heads in agony, flopping around the floor like rabid animals. He took great amusement in watching them writhe and cough up blood. Some even started bashing their skulls against the surfaces of the walls and floors in a futile effort to get the pain to stop.

When They started to attack each other, Malefic couldn't help but laugh in joy. Revenge was everything he'd been hoping for and then some. He glanced over towards the human's cage, sucking in a deep breath at the intense stare that greeted him.

Bruce was awake and glaring something fierce, eyes almost black they were so dark. "Take that back."

Malefic blinked, startled. "What?"

"You called me a liar. Take it back."

He looked around at the still writhing bodies that covered the filthy floor and had to grin. "I take it back. I take it _all_ back."

()

M'yrnn had been an Official ever since he'd lost his son all those years ago. He'd figured it was the only way he'd ever get close to finding out what happened to his child, and though hope started to dwindle over the years, his mate Sha'sheen never wavered in her belief that Malefic would be found. M'yrnn just wished he'd been able to reward her faith with results before the Sickness claimed her, but alas he'd failed in that aspect as well.

She'd been so fragile towards the end, the spark in her beautiful eyes all but extinguished after having lost their oldest son, Lhelum, as well. The combined losses of both her and his child had M'yrnn slipping into a healing sleep in order to ease the pain of the broken bonds. If it weren't for J'onn he'd truly have nothing worth living for. As it was, he was barely able to pull himself together in order to continue his duties as an Official.

He was the best of the best, the lead Boss, as it were. His team consisted of Kryoya, his second in command who was a Lhix, a reptilian like alien from a ridiculously hard to pronounce planet, Ti and Zyphixilpha, the like-minded twins and the new recruit, Bary-Van from Krypton. Currently, they were outside a plain, two story building waiting for the High Council to give the okay to storm the property.

A cure from the Sickness had come from the place and after careful digging, his Team had discovered that the first claims of the disease had come from around the same area as well. It was just a haunch, but M'yrnn had long learned to trust his instincts over the years.

"The twins're still tryin t'get an okay from th'High-Council," Kryoya reported in his throaty, lazy drawl. "Says th''cure' managed t'save one of 'em so they're kinna hesitatin."

M'yrnn went to respond when a low whistle rang out from his left. He glanced at the new recruit. "Yes?"

Bary-Van simply pointed up, drawing both their gazes above the building, where blackish-purple clouds were swirling. Every now and then a crack of yellowish lightning would snake through.

Kryoya let out a gruff laugh, relaying the images to Ti over the comm. "If that idn't a m'ssage from th' gods, I dunna what is!" He hoped the Council would see it that way.

The clouds swirled about almost playfully and a sinister tension grew, causing chills to race across his scales. Whatever they found inside...

Something told him that it wasn't going to be pretty.

The moment Kryoya's padd lit up in confirmation they swooped forward into the building, weapons ready. M'yrnn didn't know what he'd been expecting but it certainly wasn't the sight of guards and employees bashing their own heads against the walls and floors, screaming profanities. He shared a concerned look with his second and then briefly reached out with his mind to touch a guard's– only to jerk back at the raw, blistering pain he felt.

"It feels like...fire," he gritted out through the headache that was now pounding inside his skull. "Like their minds are melting. I don't like this. Bary-Van, get the Medihealers down here. Wait for Ti and Zyphixilpha. Kryoya, you're with me. Let's move!"

Navigating through the building was easy enough, seeing how any possible hostiles they ran across were either screaming, hurting themselves, or both.

As the two Officials made their way downstairs Kryoya asked, "Hey boss, y'startin t'think tha' maybe there's a reas'n these guys're all freakin ou'?"

M'yrnn, who'd been observing what looked like medical equipment on a far wall, snorted. "Their 'Sickness' probably turned on them." He frowned as the screams started to grow louder up ahead. "Although, I will say that 'mind-melting' wasn't a symptom."

"Could be a new stran'. Maybe they los' control of it."

"Good." His voice was hard. "Serves them right for making it in the first place." _For taking Sha'sheen and Lhelum._

They rounded the corner and came to a dead stop. About a dozen cages filled the room and there were kids in them! Bruised, half-starved kids, who were eerily quiet and watching their would-be torturers screaming, writhing, in agony. M'yrnn let out several choice curses and almost missed the soft, "V'lmnta?".

Everything stopped.

_Please H'ronmeer don't let me be imagining things_. He turned around slowly and felt his legs threaten to give out from him. There, in one of the cages, was his son.

Malefic.

He was alive.

It didn't take long for the disbelief to turn to rage. His Malefic was in a cage, bruised and collared and sporting puncture wounds that suggested that those m'nktes were –

M'rynn's thoughts were cut off when his weapon was suddenly taken away by his second. "Give it back," he growled. "That's an order."

"Nah," Kryoya shook his head. "I know tha' look an' I'm refusin' y'order."

"They've been experimenting on my **son**," the Martian hissed, fingers twitching with the desire to kill the still-screaming idiots. Sure, they seemed to be in agony but it wasn't enough.

Wasn't nearly enough to atone for what they'd done.

"I know, an' tha's 'orrible but seein' y'gun 'em down is only gonna mess 'im up even more."

His second had a point, he did but that didn't mean M'rynn had to like it. "Help me get these locks then." He gave his son what he hoped was a reassuring smile. "We'll have you out and home in no time. Promise."

Suddenly the future didn't look so grim anymore. Though it had taken much longer than he'd like, he ended up keeping his promise to Sha'sheen after all. Even if his son was glaring at him with distrust and would probably need a lot of counseling from Medihealers, he was alive.

The screaming was dying down to pitiful whimpers and groans. M'yrnn ignored them as he tried simply phasing his son from the cage and was stopped by a rather painful shock. He jerked his hand back, curse slipping out before he could help it.

Malefic laughed scornfully. "Yes, because the others and I _never_ thought to try that."

The tone hurt more than the shock had. Why was _he_ being treated as if he were the enemy? Confused, he got to work on the locking mechanism, hands manipulating the lock deftly. "Son -"

"Don't call me that!" the younger Martian threw himself against the bars, breaking his concentration, "You don't get to call me that! _Ever_!"

Kryoya looked up from the lock that he was working on, surprised himself at the level of animosity. "Kid, we jus' saved ya. Ease up on tha' att'tude, yea?"

That earned the reptilian a scoff. "Saved us? Please. Don't give yourselves so much cred-."

"That's enough, Malefic," a stern voice ordered, causing all eyes to shift to the owner, who was a small pale child with the bluest eyes M'yrnn's ever seen before. His first instinct was to say the kid was a Kryptonian but the bone structure wasn't thick enough. Though he did look familiar...

_Is that the...same boy who landed on top of J'onn way back? We were told he'd died! What else have we been lied to about?!_

Malefic was scowling. "But Bruce-"

"They deserve our thanks. After all, they did **save** us," the boy continued, a strange not-smile touching his lips. His accent was curious; the words came out stilted as if their speaker wasn't quite used to pronouncing them, but managed a fluidity that suggested many years of practice.

M'yrnn watched his son odd smile and vaguely had the feeling that they were being mocked. His golden eyes narrowed, not appreciating that at all. Nor did he like the creepy vibe that he was getting despite the fact that the screaming had stopped. _What is wrong with you?_ His conscious (he liked to call it Sha'sheen) scolded him. _These kids have been abused for years. Of course they're not going to feel right. Just be grateful that they're alive._

His comm suddenly crackled to life. "**_Boss..._**" It was Bary-Van. M'yrnn tapped his head-piece, having a feeling that the recruit had just disobeyed orders again. "I thought I told you to remain with the Medihealers until the twins arrived."

"**_Well yeah but I got curious._**"

Only years of training and discipline kept the anger out of his voice. "Right. We'll be talking about that later. What did you find?"

"**_Something...sick._**" The Kryptonian's voice quivered with emotion. "**_Sick! I can't believe..."_**

The lock sprang open but M'yrnn didn't reach in to pull Malefic out. Judging by how his son was reacting, touch would not go over very well.

Kryoya had already unlocked six and not a single child had moved out of their cages."Easy, Bary. We foun' a bunch o' little ones bein kept in cages. If it's as bad as y'say, I donna want 'em overhearin abou' it."

"**_There's still some alive?_**" There was such relief in Bary's voice, M'yrnn felt his insides clench. "Implying that you've found...?"

"**_Like I said before Boss; sick_**," the recruit confirmed. "**_Just...sick_**."

A rough chuckle came from Bruce. "Sounds like someone just found the White Room." His words caused the other kids to giggle, even Malefic, and the uneasy feeling increased as the M'yrnn shakily asked, "Bary, is it a white room?"

"**_G'NTAS DID THIS SCXROLS WHERE THE KIDS COULD SEE?!_**"

"Van!" Both he and Kryoya snapped in union. "Language!"

**_"Boss, do it. I give you permission."_** Bary had never sounded so shaken up before and though new, the recruit had seen many horrible things due to the Sickness. For him to give permission for M'yrnn to see inside his mind... The Martian entered the rather bare mental plane to see what had him so worked up. Images swam through of the White Room - corpses of small children who'd been gutted open, various body parts categorized and laying about in piles. Some bodies were still hooked up to machines with their faces permanently twisted in horror and fear.

His son and the others had all known about the Room and to be laughing so casually..._ I don't know how much damage the Medi-healers can undo. This is...sick._

"Do the required documentation and then get out of there Van," M'yrnn rasped out. "We need to get these kids topside as soon as possible."

Kryoya shot him a curious look but he didn't relay the images. The Lhix was mighty protective over little ones and would most likely become enraged upon seeing what the room held.

The one called 'Bruce' was the first to leave his cage, others following suit soon after. Kryoya reported the situation to the twins that just arrived upstairs, ordering that the Medi-healers be ready for about a dozen or so new patients. "Intense ment'l scarrin', physical inj'ries as well. Prob'bly malnourished though we canna' be sure abou' that until th'little ones're fully checked ou'."

_**"Little ones?"**_ Ti's voice was scandalized. "**_What are little ones doing in a place like this?"_**

He eyed the fragile little ones, the distrusting gazes and cool look to their eyes. It was like the innocence had been drained from them. Wrong, so very wrong.

"Later," M'yrnn ordered. "They need tending to now. We're about to come up. Have transport ready." Pause. "And I think its safe to say that everyone in this building is guilty of numerous crimes."

**_"Really?"_** She didn't sound so sure. "**_But most of them are out of their mind with pain."_**

**_"Oh yeah."_** Bary chimed in. **_"Boss' streak is definitely still going strong."_**

"Just this once I would have been alright with being wrong." he sighed, suddenly feeling very old and very tired. Malefic had been found after all this time and yet...

That wasn't his son, not the one he remembered so fondly.

_Just do what you can,_ Sha'sheen's voice echoed in his mind. _You owe him that much, at least._

/Author's Note/

So like, when I first wrote Elseworlds, I didn't think there was any information about J'onn's family or whatever. It wasn't until after I wrote it that I decided to do some research and discovered that yeah, his parent's names are totally known and totally not what I called them. At the time I was like, 'meh' but now that I'm rewriting it, why not use their proper names?

So, J'onn's mom? Her name is Sha'sheen. Pretty, right?

His dad's name is M'yrnn.

Lhelum is my own creation but that doesn't really matter, as he died from the Sickness.

As for what Bary-Van said that had Kryoya and M'yrnn so scandalized, it was something along the lines of 'Those fuckers did this shit where the kids could see?!'.

^o^ Anyways, review and let me know what you think, yeah?


	12. Less creepy

Title: Mars: An Elseworld's Story (Revised)

Chapter 11: Kryoya and Bruce

Getting the kids out of the horrible building was step one. Step two was supposed to be loading them up into the transporters but that was delayed by the fact that they kept staring up at the sky. The Officials watched them and after a moment, Kryoya decided to ask Bruce, who seemed to be the most stable of the bunch. "What're they doin?"

The Lhix was then subjected to a most eerie-stare and had a feeling he was being sized up. Not surprising, given all that had happened - they'd probably have have intense trust issues for a long time.

Apparently Bruce found something he liked; his lips did that odd twitching thing as he answered, "A lot of them gave up hope of ever seeing the sky again." Blue eyes drifted upward. "For me...it's the first time."

_Well if tha' donna add onto th'guilt I donna wha' will._ "Whatcha think of 'er?"

"Isn't it...supposed to be blue?" He sounded confused, probably thinking of his home planet.

Malefic shook his head. "No. It's always this color around this time. Earlier in the day it's yellow."

"Yellow?" Bruce glared up at the sky as if insulted. "What kind of color is that?"

Kryoya took offense to that. Though not his original home, the Lhix had long started to think of it as such. A gruff sound rose from his chest, a show of annoyance. "Yea? Where y'from 'en?"

The fire in the blue eyes died quick, as if a breeze of wind had snuffed it out. "Nowhere." A short laugh. "My home doesn't exist anymore."

It was like being hit in the gut, hard to breathe, because Kryoya knew that look, had seen it in his own reflection for many a year until the pain of losing everything had finally lessened.

"S'rry t'hear tha'," he grumbled.

Though they didn't talk anymore for the duration of the ride, the Lhix couldn't keep his thoughts free of Bruce, a strange alien he had a lot in common with.

* * *

Curiously, the passion in the blue eyes was re-lit the moment a blood-curling scream rang out from Malefic's room. Bruce took off in the direction of the sound, Kryoya following close behind and silently cursing his luck. It figured that the **moment** the Boss stepped out to handle business that something like this would happen. The Lhix made it only a few moments later, just in time to hear a sharp, "Release him! Now!"

Not liking those words, Kryoya yanked back the curtain and hissed sharply, recognizing the stiffness of Malefic's form all too well. The Medihealer was keeping him immobilized with her mind. "Let 'im go!" he growled out. "Y'crazy? Kid's been tied down 'nough as is!"

"He started to attack me!" she argued, eyes flashing. "I had no choice!"

Kryoya turned to gaze questioningly at the younger Martian, who flushed."She tried to enter my mind after I told her NO! Of course I attacked her -she's just like Them!"

"If you had been _listening_ instead of shutting me out you would have heard -"

"I will not have your _disgusting_ thoughts inside of my head," Malefic spat, the hatred apparent in his tone, managing to tremble despite the hold. "Yours or any other h'wluho here. I don't have your perverted skills anyway!"

She sputtered at the insult. "H'wluho?! How can you even - our gifts are the envy of half the galaxy! And it's not perverted! "

Bruce smirked. "The ability to violate people with only a twitch of mental effort? Sounds like perversion to me." The air suddenly crackled with dangerous energy. "I will not tell you again. Release my friend now."

Either stubborness or blind confidence had the Medihealer scoffing. "Little one I am well beyond your skill set. Do not threaten m-" The rest of her words are swallowed, a harsh blow knocking the wind out of her, as well as sending her through the curtain to be slammed up against a wall. Air supply was cut off and she struggled to breathe, panic rising because the boy hadn't so much as **moved**.

Fearfully, she released Malefic just as the Lhix swooped forward, pressing his claws up against the boy's neck. "Bruce," he rumbled dangerously. "Release th'healer." Claws gently broke the skin to allow the venom entrance, just a mild sedative. "She let Malefic go, s'you do th'same t'her. Now."

He tensed as the blue eyes suddenly shifted to pitch-black. '_How messed up are ya?_' Just in case, Kryoya allowed a bit of extra venom to seep into the boy's blood, relaxing at feeling the body go limp.

The Medihealer was released - well, thrown rather harshly to the floor but still, released. Heh. The little one seemed a bit angry at having been so easily subdued. Malefic was glaring something fierce from his position but he didn't lift a finger or say anything to help the boy out. Kryoya sighed and helped Bruce to a bed, mentally going through the explanation he was going to have to give M'yrnn when the little one tensed up and started to thrash about.

A rash broke out across his skin and Kryoya let out a curse, recognizing the symptoms. Little one was allergic to his venom?! Swearing, Kryoya ran off to get the antidote after a quick bark at them to **_stay put_**.

Malefic glared at the Medihealer the entire time, disappointed that she'd managed to get through the experience with her mind intact. It would have been so amusing, watching her scream and writhe...

"Why did One make you break out?" He couldn't help but ask, knowing that the Medihealer might think it strange, but so what?

Bruce smiled slightly. "He thinks it's funny."

The young Martian eyed the prone form warily, thinking back to how the twitching and changing of colors...A laugh escaped despite himself. "Well...it kind of was."

His friend snorted. "Glad you think so. Itches like crazy."

Kryoya came back with a large cup, a sheepish look on his face. "S'rry. Bu' it's y'own fault, attackin Medihealers an' whatno'."

"She deserved it," Bruce scowled. "I'm not sorry."

He sighed, rubbing a hand against the edges of his thick neck. "Look, y'think there's no'loads of people I wanna thrash abou'? Y'can't g'about thrashin everyon'. Kinna pisses 'em off an' then they go tryin t'get you back, an'tha' gets old aft'r a while."

Bruce actually looked thoughtful at those words, taking them into consideration. "So then I just don't leave them in that good of a condition."

Malefic nodded. "Makes sense to me."

Kryoya felt chills race up his scales again. "I think I'mma call your v'lmna an' let 'em know wha' happened. Drink this." He placed the cup on the side-table, giving the two a fanged grin. "He'll prob'bly freak, so ge' ready for tha'.."

* * *

As predicted, M'yrnn hadn't been pleased. "So not _only_ did you almost kill a little one-"

"M'venom don' kill an' you kno' it!" he objected heavily, suddenly glad that he'd chosen to speak to the Boss outside and away from youngling ears. "Donna even go there! An' tha' was aft'r 'e ment'lly threw th'poor healer ou' th'room!"

Golden eyes flashed. "He was protecting my _son_ -"

"Who attacked 'er for doin 'er job - no' very good bu' still -an' THEN called 'er a..." His voice lowered slightly. "A H'wluho."

M'yrnn fell back, agast. "Wait- what? That doesn't -_he's_ Martian. I don't -why would he hate his own kind?"

That got him a disbelieving look. "R'lly? You tha' thick? Almos' all of th'people we took inta cust'dy are Martian. Kid's go' reason t'hate 'em."

His Boss sighed, walking over to sit on one of the nearby benches. "Malefic has never had our gifts but that didn't matter to us. We loved him regardless." His fists tightened, anger rising toward the bastards who'd taken his son and turned him into such an angry child. "And now he's this...do you know why I had to leave earlier?"

Kryoya shuffled awkwardly. "No' really. Saw y'had a talk with y'son an' then y'left f'r business." Even though Ti was more than capable of handling things on her end.

"I told Malefic about the Sickness, about Sha'sheen and Lhelum and do you know what he asks me? If it was _fun_ watching them die." Hid his face in shame, admitting, "It was either leave or risk hitting him. He's this...twisted _person_ that laughs at horrible things like the White Room and Sickness, hates his own kind and ...and I haven't the first clue on how to help him."

Normally M'yrnn was confident, sure on the right plan of action. Seeing his Boss so distraught was unsettling to say the least. "Jus'..I dunna. Jus' love 'im. S'what they all need. Love."

A bitter laugh. "Really? Then most of them are going to go without." Rubbed his face tiredly. "Almost all of them were orphans. The chances of a family taking in such a damaged child..."

"Even Bruce? Bu' e's ador'ble! Kinna Creepy bu' still!" The idea of the little boy being left to an orphanage didn't sit right with the Lhix . The kid needed discipline and stability, not less of it!

M'yrnn finally stood up, stretching slightly. "Your 'adorable' Bruce attacked a Medihealer. I doubt people are going to be lining up to take him in once that gets out."

"Bu' she wasn' even good at 'er job!" Kryoya protested as he followed his Boss back inside the building. "Wha' abou' you? Y'could take 'im in!"

"Absolutely not!" the Martian hissed, whirling around to glare at his Second heavily. "Malefic is twisted enough as is! I don't need that boy - whatever he is - tainting him even further. And what about J'onn? I have to do what's best for them."

Kryoya gawked. "Wha'ever 'e is?!" he repeated incredulously. "Wha' 'e is is a los', hurtin' child tha' needs a home!"

"Well he can find it somewhere else," M'yrnn stated firmly, shaking his head. "There's something wrong about him. He feels weird, more so than Malefic or any of the others."

The Lhix's ridges fluffed out, rage evident but forced himself to keep his voice low as they neared the ward that the kids were in. "S'instead of helpin' 'im, y'jus' gonna toss 'im aside? Leave 'im t'rot?"

"Take him in yourself if he means that much to you."

"I canna an' y'know it!"

M'yrnn stopped right outside the entrance. "So stop trying to guilt me into taking the boy; it's not happening." Palmed the door open and headed toward Malefic's room, relieved to see that his son was alone.

"We need to talk."

* * *

In his own room, Bruce laid on his floating bed, staring up at the ceiling and trying not to listen. After being separated from Malefic, no body had come to see or check up on him - not even a Medihealer. It was understandable, given what had happened and might have even been peaceful, were it not for the thoughts and whispers he could hear so clearly, as if they were being shouted right in his ear. About how 'wrong' he felt, a cursed freak that no body wanted to deal with. He could even make out the Medihealers arguing among themselves about who was to do his examination.

Their harsh words were confusing so he turned to his Creator for answers.**_*She was hurting Malefic, tried to break into his mind - how could they not expect me to do anything?*_**

One thought for a while (for it was just as puzzled as its Chosen) and finally answered, _*It could be that the entire Martian race is like Them.*_

Bruce glared at nothing. **_*So am I supposed to just let them hurt whoever they want?*_**

A rumbling laugh, the swirling mass growing in amusement._ *Perhaps that is what they expect. But when have you ever conformed to fit expectations?*_

He went to respond when Malefic's voice echoed throughout the wing. "WHO ARE YOU TO TELL ME WHAT I CAN AND CANNOT DO?!"

Without even thinking, he leaped out of bed and ran towards the room that housed his friend, pausing outside the curtain upon recognizing the shadows behind it. M'yrnn was talking to Malefic. Probably no danger then but... What if One was right and the entire planet really was just like _Them_?

So he decided to wait and see, just in case.

* * *

"We need to talk."

Malefic hated those words, the disappointing gaze that managed to get under his skin in a way that just wasn't fair anymore. "What about?" he snapped.

Golden eyes narrowed even further. "You know what. Attacking a Medihealer -"

"She was trying to get inside my _head_!"

"-_calling her a H'wluho?_" M'yrnn continued on as if not interrupted. "Those things are not acceptable. You **cannot**-"

"WHO ARE YOU TO TELL ME WHAT I CAN AND CANNOT DO?!" Malefic shrieked angrily. "You weren't there! You left me -"

"For a _moment_!" His fists tightened. "I left you for a moment!" Saw the flinch, how his son was trying to discretely move away, and struggled to calm himself. Right. Anger and loud noises would probably be bad for a long, long time. The Official cleared his throat and tried again. "I did not expect..I didn't know you'd be taken. And now that you're back - I can't let you go around calling people horrible names and attacking them. It's _wrong_. Don't you understand that?"

Malefic was now staring at him, head tilted oddly. Silence stretched between them for a bit and then, "Can Bruce stay with us?"

Great. Not M'yrnn got to have _this_ fight with his newly-found son. "No. No he cannot."

As predicted, the younger Martian's face screwed up in anger. But then it smoothed out. "What if I say sorry to the Medihealer?"

"I'm sure she'd really like that. But Bruce cannot stay with us."

"But why _not_?!" Malefic exploded and a few things around the room started to vibrate nervously. M'yrnn took a careful step back, keeping his face passive even whilst he was internally freaking out._ 'Malefic doesn't - didn't have this type of gift. What's happening?!'_ "Because I said so," he replied calmly, left hand deftly moving to his side belt.

The vibrating increased in size with the tempter tantrum, items falling off the wall to shatter noisily on the floor. "But he's - he can't - he doesn't have anything else! You're going to make him be alone! That's not right!"

Digging through the side pocket with only one appendage was more difficult than originally thought but eventually the device slipped into his hand. "Malefic," he kept his voice steady, level. "There is something _wrong_ about that boy. I can't put my finger on it but he's not safe."

Had expected those words to start an even bigger tantrum and was fully prepared to activate the device, when Malefic surprisingly settled down. "Oh. Well that makes sense."

M'yrnn blinked. "It does?"

"Yes. I'll tell Bruce to work on it."

He sighed. "I don't -"

"Yes, yes, I know. He's too _creepy_." Malefic suddenly leaned back, a sharp grin taking over his features. "Bruce, be less creepy. Can you do that?"

The curtain suddenly moved back to allow Bruce entrance into the room and M'yrnn tensed, realizing that their entire conversation had been heard. Wasn't Kryoya supposed to be watching the kid?

Eerie blue eyes shifted upwards to stare at him. "I'm creepy?" There was just the faintest tinge of hurt but it was mostly swallowed by dark amusement.

M'yrnn scowled at the kid. "A bit, yes. Why were you listening in on our conversation?" Had it been Bruce or Malefic who'd been causing everything to shake? '

There went that strange not-smile again. "I dunno. Just being _creepy_, I guess."

Malefic snorted. "Don't let him fool you. He heard me screaming and ran to help again, am I right?"

It was Bruce's turn to scowl and there was just the slightest flush of pink to his skin that had M'yrnn almost reconsidering taking him in. He'd been trying to protect Malefic earlier, so obviously there was kindness to him... But the feeling, the chills weren't going away and J'onn was too fragile to be near someone like Bruce and _not_ get tainted.

_He doesn't have anything else! You're going to make him be alone! That's not right!_

M'yrnn forced a wry smile. "Be less creepy, little one. It'll help. Malefic, by some act of the gods you've been cleared so...it's time to go home now. J'onn's waiting for us. Tell Bruce your goodbyes."

His son did, in the form of a tight hug. "Less creepy Bruce."

"I'll try," Bruce promised, voice soft.

M'yrnn forced himself to not look back.

* * *

/Author Note/

In case anyone is wondering, Bruce calls One a 'he' because to him that's what One sounds like. But One doesn't see itself as a 'he' because it has never been named, so One doesn't know what it is.

Could be both, but Bruce and I hear him as a 'he'.

And that _was_ Malefic causing the items to shake and fall to the ground, not Bruce..


End file.
